


In The Aftermath

by natashasbanner



Series: Prompts [55]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-23 07:51:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: After the snap, everyone is numb. Bruce and Natasha take some time to walk back to the city.From the prompt: i don't know if you take prompts or anything like this but you should totally write some post iw brucenat. u know, both trying to figure out what they should do now with all the grave and bruce telling her where the Hulk was and everything. it would be really great!





	In The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt that I wanted to write the minute I got it. Thank you and I hope you enjoy :D

Quiet. 

That’s the only thing Bruce registered after the ear shattering snap. It was almost ten minutes before any of them moved, stood together in shock at the loss they’d just witnessed. The general, Okoye was the first one to regain a fraction of her senses. 

“The king is dead,” she said, her voice wavering, but she stood up straight with her head held high. “I must return to the palace at once.” 

Steve stood from his spot on the ground next to Vision’s colorless form. “I’ll go with you,” he said and the two shared a nod. 

“We need to assess the damage, see how bad a hit we took,” Rhodey piped up, the mechanisms of his suit humming as he walked toward Steve and General Okoye. 

Rhodes took off and Steve and Okoye started for the edge of the forest. Bruce saw the raccoon turn away from them all and slink off into the forest. Thor followed the others out of the forest, leaving him and Natasha alone with Vision. She still hadn’t moved, despite the others moving around her. Her back was to him, but her head was still bowed, her hand on her stomach. 

“Natasha,” he called to her, but she remained motionless. 

He hit a button on the suit and the chest panel opened up. He hopped down from it, stumbling s little on landing. His legs felt like jello, but he made his way over to her. 

“Natasha,” he tried again. His voice sounded too loud in his ears, echoing back from the trees. 

Her head raised this time, but she didn’t turn. “What did we do?” she whispered. 

Bruce took a tentative step toward her. “This isn’t our fault.” 

“I don’t see how,” she said through gritted teeth.

They put up a good fight, but with the other five stones, Thanos was damn near impossible to defeat. Thor had the best chance out of any of them to stop him, if only he’d aimed a little higher. Bruce couldn’t hold it against him though, he’d been through a lot in the last few weeks, they all had. The real person at fault for all of the destruction was Thanos and Thanos alone. He believed he was doing the universe a service by destroying half the living things in it. This was on him. 

“We did our part,” he said and she rounded on him, in his face in a flash. 

Bruce stumbled back a few steps, but she was right there with him. 

“We could have done more, there was a way to stop this and we failed,” she growled, getting in his face. 

“What,” he shot back. “What else was there to do? I was stuck in the side of a cliff and you were buried alive. The odds were set against us the moment he got his hands on the first stone.” 

“So that’s it? We’re just supposed to accept what happened and try to move on?” she demanded. 

Bruce rubbed his chin and shook his head. “That’s not what I said.” 

“Then what are you saying,” she asked, sounding almost desperate. 

“This fight started long before we knew who or what we were even up against,” He said calmly. “We lost the battle, there’s still a war to be fought.” 

Natasha’s lips quirked up slightly in the shadow of a smirk. “When did you become an optimist?” 

Bruce chuckled softly. “I woke up on an alien planet and just had to roll with it. I ended up back here so I’m inclined to look on the positive side.” 

“You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?”

She backed off a little and turned to look back down at what was left of Vision. 

“We can’t leave him here,” she muttered. 

“He’s too heavy carry all the way back,” Bruce said. “We can find something to come pick him up then.” 

“Okay,” Natasha agreed and turned to follow the others’ path out of the trees. 

Bruce followed her quietly and they paused at the tree line. The long stretch of battlefield was littered with fallen warriors and the corpses of the enemy. There were already ships at work picking up the dead Wakandans. Rhodes was right, they need to start finding out who wasn’t accounted for in order to find out how big a hit they took. Half the universe was a hell of a lot to just vanish into thin air, but Bruce wasn’t entirely convinced they were completely lost. 

They just had to figure out how to get them back. 

“Should we flag one of them down,” Bruce asked, nodding toward the aircrafts. 

“I’d rather walk.” 

She set off toward the buildings in the distance. They were a few miles out and it would take a while to get back, but he guessed she needed the time to process everything. They walked in silence for a while, steering clear of the soldiers clearing the battlefield. The wind blew around them and the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. It was still eerily quiet, almost unsettling. 

“Tell me about it,” she said suddenly, breaking her silence. 

“About what?” 

“Where you ended up, after…” she trailed off and Bruce looked over to see her wringing her hands together nervously. 

“Oh, I uh.” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t remember how I got there. The big guy was in control until a few days ago.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Some of it comes back in flashes. It’s too blurry to tell for sure but I think he was tortured for a while. He was a fighter, the best fighter. Once I took over there was this huge search for him.” 

“I’m sorry,” she breathed out, looking at him with unshed tears in her eyes. 

“Don’t be,” he said and reached for her hand. He squeezed until she looked away. “I don’t blame you and neither does he.” 

She nodded but didn’t meet his eyes again. 

“Do you want to know how I took over again?” he asked after the silence stretched on too long. 

“How?” 

“You.” 

“What?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“Your voice actually,” he said. “Do you remember trying to talk the big guy down from the quinjet?” 

She nodded her mouth hanging open slightly, speechless. 

“Well the video saved and Thor accidentally pulled it up,” Bruce told her. “I don’t how long it’d been since I’d given up trying to fight him, but I heard your voice. You said the magic words and I fought like hell to take over.” 

Natasha smiled softly. “At least we know the lullaby still works.” 

“Yeah,” he breathed out. 

“We, well I thought you were dead,” she admitted. “Is it wrong that I’m relieved that you didn’t disintegrate?” 

“You can’t blame yourself for being human, Natasha.” 

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” she said. 

“Well I think Tony said it best,” Bruce said. 

“Oh yeah?” 

“We couldn’t save the universe, but that doesn’t mean we can’t avenge it,” he said with certainty. 

“What’s your plan, Doc?” 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “We’ll come up with something. For now the universe needs time to mourn.” 

He looked up at buildings that were getting closer and sighed. 

“Only seems fair.” 


End file.
